Toys That Grow With Your Child

There are many toys available out there and they come in all shapes and sizes. How do you choose something that will have a higher play value? By selecting the right toys you will be able to get a lasting toy that will grow with your child.

As children learn through play, toys can help your little ones with their physical and cognitive development. But how do you go about choosing the right kind of toys? It is common to feel overwhelmed as you step into a toy store – there are usually countless numbers of shelves, housing various types of toys. Where do you start? Which toy is going to benefit your child in terms of his developmental skills?

Fortunately, with the advent of technology, many toys today come with convertible or multipurpose features. These multipurpose toys can be converted into different forms and functions to suit your baby’s needs as she grows. For instance, baby gyms which can be converted into play centres may provide longer term of play for your child. To help you select the right kind of toys for your child, here are a few types of toys that you can consider:

Toys that require your child to be more active can help him enhance his current physical skills and develop new ones. As your child grows, he will be stronger, more confident of his physical movements, and will attempt more physical action. You can provide toys like balls of different shapes and sizes, tricycles or three-wheeled scooters with appropriate protective gear, plastic bowling sets, child-sized basketball hoop, pull-toys, mini gardening tools, and others to get him moving around.

Toys that can be played in a variety of ways would appeal well to toddlers. They will have lots of fun taking toys apart, joining them back together, pulling out parts, slotting in objects, adding on to a structure, and building combinations of toys. Select toys that are “open-ended”, where your child can play different games with the same toy. As an example, wooden blocks or plastic blocks that interlock can be used to build different types of structures or objects. This allows your child to experiment and boost his creativity and imagination, which in turn helps him develop problem-solving and logical thinking skills.

Toys that can help your child with literacy are essential too. Books, magnetic alphabet letters, and art supplies like markers, crayons, and finger paints, can help to develop early writing and reading skills. “Real-life” props like menus, catalogues or magazines are entertaining for your child to look at and play with while building her understanding of letters, text, and print.

It is common to have your child play with a new toy and have it thrown aside after a few days. In order to avoid this, pick toys that can provide fun at different developmental stages. Action figures, toddler-friendly dollhouses, trains and other vehicles, stuffed animals and dolls are some examples of toys that remain fun as your child go through different developmental stages.

Ageless toys are basic toys that can be played by children of all ages. Some examples of ageless toys are balls, arts and crafts, building blocks as well as packs of playing cards. These toys are so versatile they can be played at any stage of a child’s life.

Toys that your child can use imaginatively to play-act will be helpful in nurturing her creativity. Play-act helps to build language and literacy skills, problem-solving skills, and the ability to sort events in a logical order. For instance, you can buy dress-up clothing, building blocks, toy food and plastic utensils, action figures, stuffed toys, toy vehicles, toddler-friendly dollhouses, toy tools, and “real-life” accessories such as a wrapping paper tube that acts as a telescope for your child.

Family games that incorporate intergenerational play are a great choice of toys as these will foster closer bonds between family members and provide a good opportunity for your child to connect with his elders. Family games can be simplified to suit a young child, or played in teams to teach your child about teamwork. Board games help kids to enhance their counting, matching and memory skills, as well as listening skills and self-control, where they learn to adhere to rules. Another important benefit that family games provide is teaching children to be polite winners and to manage their emotions when they lose.